could this cause this......

I have a kamoa e tenor that just will not stay in tune. Nor can I get it to be in tune with both the tuner and it self . I have found that the tuners are oddly aligned . Could this be causing my intonation issues.

No, the tuners are simply turned on the axis. It purely cosmetic. To fix it you must remove the tuners, glue round toothpicks (or any other wood) firmly into the small holes. Then reposition the tuners and re-drill the holes for the fixing screws in the proper positions. I would not recommend wood filler for the holes as when you re-drill the new holes they will be VERY close to the original and wood filler does not hold screws as well as wood. They will follow the path of least resistance and end up trying to follow the old holes.

Again, this is purely a cosmetic issue (but would drive me nuts).

How long have you had the tenor? Are the strings new?

Thanks for the info on how to fix the issue of the tuners alignment. Holdin I have had it for about a month and no the strings are not new. I have tried 2 sets of strings thus far , neither has helped

This is the kind of problem I find very troublesome. First, MadMatt is right. The problem is not the angle of the tuners. (I wouldn't bother turning them. But, that's me.) You have two problems.

You say the instrument doesn't stay in tune. You must first of all, be patient. The strings may take a week or two to finish their initial stretching. Then, if you tune it and it holds pretty well while you play, say half an hour or so, maybe you're expecting too much. But, if you adjust a tuner and the string immediately falls in pitch the problem is most probably the tuner itself. If this is the problem, you may need to replace the tuners. You can find exact replacements and switch them out very easily, or have a luthier replace them with higher quality machines.

Your second problem is the intonation of the instrument. You say you can't get it in tune with the tuner and itself. I'm an intonation geek and this drives me crazy. All fretted instruments have this to some degree, but some are so close no one can tell. On the other end of the spectrum, some are so bad they are unplayable. We can't know where yours is on this scale. If you tune it, turn off the tuner (don't let the electronic gadget make you over think), and play it, how does it sound to you? If it's all right, enjoy. If you can't take it, the intonation is not good enough for you. If it is poorly set up, some of this can be remedied by correcting string height, fret leveling, and so on. This should be done by someone with experience (professional luthier). A professional may also be able to estimate how correctable this will be before you pay to have it done. A hobbyist will not. Set up may solve the issue for you. If not, the instrument's intonation may not be capable of making you happy.

Please, let us know how this turns out for you. And good luck.

jaredisadad said:

Holdin I have had it for about a month and no the strings are not new. I have tried 2 sets of strings thus far , neither has helped

Click to expand...

Thats probably your issue mate. It can take time for strings to settle in. I would recommend you pinch each string in the middle and pull decidedly up and down then retune and repeat till the strings no longer go out of tune.

Failing that... How are they connected to the body (pins/knots)? also how many winds are on the tuner? have you noticed the tuner heads moving when you pull on the strings? Are the tuners loose on the head(do they twist slightly?) These heads are sealed gear so I wouldn't think they would be the issue but if your still having issues after you've checked this this then let me know...

Once again thanks for the replies , I guess I should give a little more info here. I have had the current set of strings on for about 2 and a half weeks . I have been playing for about three years, so I am well aquainted with strings having too settle in . I'm by no means a tuning nut, except for when I'm at work. But my biggest issue is in fact the intonation of the instrument. Chords never sound quite right. And when I get it close to playable it lasts all of a minute before needing tuned again. I had a feeling that the tuners alignment had nothing to do with its intonation but I figured I'd give it a shot. Alas I can't justify taking a 150 dollar ukulele to a luthier.

Might be time to contact your vendor. Another option is to contact the fine people at Kamoa. It says on the sticker in the soundhole, "Guaranteed against faulty craftmanship." They might be interested in seeing the picture of the tuners. I'd try the vendor first though. Good luck, I think what you're describing would drive me nuts!!

jaredisadad said:

Once again thanks for the replies , I guess I should give a little more info here. I have had the current set of strings on for about 2 and a half weeks . I have been playing for about three years, so I am well aquainted with strings having too settle in . I'm by no means a tuning nut, except for when I'm at work. But my biggest issue is in fact the intonation of the instrument. Chords never sound quite right. And when I get it close to playable it lasts all of a minute before needing tuned again. I had a feeling that the tuners alignment had nothing to do with its intonation but I figured I'd give it a shot. Alas I can't justify taking a 150 dollar ukulele to a luthier.

Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with taking a 75 dollar uke to a luthier. If it needs attention, take it. A pro will tell you if it's not worth the work, and the advice should cost you nothing. But, if your pro says it's worth the 50 bucks extra (give or take).... You still get to decide.

Bad intonation and not holding tune will severely diminish your fun.

jaredisadad said:

But my biggest issue is in fact the intonation of the instrument. Chords never sound quite right.

Click to expand...

Not staying in tune, and not having proper intonation are two entirely separate issues. What kind (brand) of strings do you have?

All strings should settle down in a few days at most. Especially if you are giving them a good stretch each time you tune it up the first day by running them through your fingers with a bit of an upward tug. Creates a bit of friction heat and helps settle them in. If they aren't staying in tune for a reasonable time after a few days after doing this, then it's other issues. Something is slipping. Could be nut slots not cut right and pinching strings and then letting them slip. Rare for a geared tuner to slip but it could happen.

As for intonation, that could be any number of factors. But as Steve said, these electronic tuners are a blessing and a curse. I see so many people use them to the n'th degree and feel that the intonation on each and every string at every position should be within 1/10th of 1 cent. An exaggeration but you get the idea. If you can hear something off then it probably is. If you can't then forget all about it and just play.

Since the strings are well-stretched, and the fact that the intonation is sometimes good can only mean that the tuners are slipping.
That's pretty surprising since they are geared tuners, but it can't be anything else since the rest is immovable.
To quote Sherlock Holmes, "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."